Just One Date
by Ash M. Knight
Summary: Emma tries to convince Regina to go on a date with her, but the mayor is reluctant.
1. Chapter 1: Just One Date

"You play guitar?" the mayor asked.

The sheriff shrugged.

"A little."

Regina raised her eyebrows.

"For some reason, I can't imagine you as a musician."

"Oh, yeah. It's how I pick up women," Emma laughed.

"Oh, really?" Regina asked. "Then how come you've never played for me before, since we all know you're crazy about me?"

"I've never had to. You fell head over heels for me the first time our eyes met."

Emma winked and Regina rolled her eyes.

"Uh-huh. Sure thing, Romeo. 'Cause I'm definitely into you."

Emma grinned.

"You're not in me yet, Mayor Mills, but you will be."

The mayor scoffed at this and rolled her eyes again.

"Oh? And what makes you so sure I'd ever put my hands anywhere near you, Miss Swan?"

"Because eventually, you won't be able to resist me. Anyone can see the way you look at me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Regina lied.

"Go on a date with me," Emma said plainly. "Just one date. Let me take you out. Let me show you what you're missing. If you still hate me after that, I'll never bother you again."

The queen silently thought about this before replying. The woman certainly was persistent. On the one hand, it would shut her up if Regina gave in, and on the same hand, it might be nice to have someone dote on her for a change. She may not have been interested in Emma, but she couldn't deny that the attention was a welcomed. On the other hand, though, she didn't want to give the woman the wrong idea. They weren't even really friends. She was surprised that Emma even had the gall to say such things. And the blonde was definitely wasn't backing down any time soon.

"Alright," she agreed. "But only to prove to you there's nothing there."

"Oh, don't you worry. You'll feel the sparks fly once I get you alone."

"Cute," Regina laughed. "Only in your dreams."

"Just wait. You'll see."

"And what ridiculous place are you taking me?"

"You'll see," Emma repeated, smiling.

* * *

The next day, Emma knocked on the mayor's door with a large black case in her hand.

When the brunette opened the door, Emma greeted her with, "Hey, 'Gina."

The mayor scowled at this.

"Don't call me that," she ordered. "What do you want? I thought we were going out tomorrow night."

"We are," the blonde said, nodding. "I was just wondering if-"

"What the hell is that?"

Regina pointed to the case and gaped at it.

"Well, Regina, it's a thing they call a guitar."

"I know that!" she hissed. "What are you doing with it?"

"Well, dear, I'm here to serenade you."

The queen's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Surely, you're not serious."

"Can I come in?" Emma asked sincerely.

"I... I'm... I mean... Yes."

She held the door open and let the blonde squeeze through the doorway with the guitar case. Emma waited politely to be invited to sit, and only then did she start to unpack the instrument. She put a capo on the second fret and plucked a few strings, adjusting the tuning just slightly so the notes would not be flat. Regina sat across from her in a chair, her legs crossed. Before Emma started to play, she looked up at the brunette. Secretly, she was nervous. In fact, she'd never serenaded a woman in her life. She'd been bluffing previously. She'd never even "picked up" a woman at all. But this one... This one she had to have.

Her face grew warm and red as she stared at Regina's thighs, admiring the smooth, perfect skin there. She suddenly found herself uncrossing the woman's legs in her mind, kneeling between them, putting her mouth...

She snapped out of her trance and glanced back down at the guitar, trying not to let her embarrassment show. She hoped Regina hadn't noticed her stare. But she couldn't help herself. The woman was too perfect to resist, a forbidden fruit Emma nearly dared not taste. But every day, her longing grew greater, and her inhibitions waned. Feeling less brave than her cocky mouth would have suggested, she gripped the pick between her thumb and forefinger and started to strum. The sound that came out was perfectly tuned, the notes soft and gentle.

To Regina's surprise, after a few moments, Emma started to sing. They were words of love and devotion, and as much as she tried to hide it, Regina could not disguise her blush. Unable to sit still in her seat as the serenade continued, she uncrossed her legs but kept her thighs close together. Emma noticed and fell back into thoughts of caressing the skin there, and as she did, she tripped up on a few notes. Luckily, she knew how to cover it up, and Regina didn't notice.

When she finished her song, Emma quickly packed her guitar away and collected her things, standing anxiously in the doorway between the main entrance and the living room.

"Thank you," the savior said, "for letting me come in for a bit. I really appreciate it."

"No, it's nothing. Really, Emma. Thank you for... for what you just did..."

Emma put her brave face back on and smiled brightly.

"I didn't need that to win you over, but it certainly doesn't hurt my chances, does it?"

Unexpectedly, Regina mumbled, "No, I suppose not."

She couldn't believe her words, and neither could Emma. In fact, the blonde hadn't expected her to say anything at all, let alone agree with her. She'd just been joking, but it was good to hear Regina say she had a chance - at least, that's what she was implying.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow at 8am?" Emma asked.

Regina responded with a silent nod as Emma turned and left the house, clutching her guitar case in her right hand.


	2. Chapter 2: Boston

In the morning, Emma got up early to take her time getting ready. Normally, she just threw on whatever what lying around, but today, she needed to be perfect. She knew she only had one chance. It took her a few hours to finish up, but she'd planned it just right so that she'd be ready to go early. She wore her nicest shirt and her best fitting pants - the ones the hugged her curves just right. She didn't eat breakfast; she was too nervous for food. Her stomach was already in knots, so she didn't need to make it any worse. Ten minutes before she was supposed to arrive, Emma pulled over on the side of the road just up the street from Regina's house and waited. She wanted to be at the door exactly on time. In the car, she quietly prayed she wouldn't mess up.

At exactly 8am, she pulled into the driveway then got out to knock on the door. Regina answered wearing a simple black dress - not overly dressy, but certainly as elegant as ever. Emma noticed that just a little bit of cleavage was showing and found herself staring again. This time, Regina caught her looking. Emma only snapped out of her trance when she heard the woman laughing.

"Eyes up, Miss Swan," she said, grinning.

"S-sorry," Emma muttered.

She turned away and walked to the passenger's side of the car, holding the door open until Regina sat down inside. She'd spent a solid hour and a half cleaning the car the day before, making sure there was no trash or junk lying around. and that the entire interior was vacuumed and wiped clean. This surprised Regina. She'd expected the sheriff to be at least a bit more messy, judging by her rough and carefree personality.

"So where are we going?" Regina asked, looking over at Emma as the blonde started the car.

"Boston," Emma replied, smiling a little more confidently, still trying to stifle her embarrassment from the previous moment.

"Boston?" Regina gasped. "We're going all the way to Boston?"

"It's only a few hours away. I'm not telling you what we're doing until we get there, though. Heads up: parking's gonna be a bitch, and it might take a while. You can put on whatever music you want to."

Emma tossed her iPod at Regina as she pulled out of the driveway. Regina scrolled through the music on the iPod Classic without saying anything, still trying to recover from her surprise. She definitely hadn't been expecting Emma to take her so far away. She figured they were just going to go somewhere to eat, like Granny's or something, but apparently, Emma had a different plan in mind. Eventually, Regina found music she liked - most of what Emma had was far from her taste - and played it over the speakers, making Emma smile.

"Not a bad choice," the sheriff commented brightly, happy to see that the mayor didn't hate _everything _she liked. "Glad you found something that won't make your ears bleed."

Regina couldn't help but smile.

When they finally reached Boston a few hours later, the traffic was horrendous, as predicted. It was practically at a stand-still, but Emma didn't seem fazed. Regina, however, looked anxious. Emma glanced over at her and gave a gentle smile.

"Relax," she said. "This is totally normal for Boston. It just takes a while to get through it. It's no big deal."

"I'm... I'm just not used to _so many _cars and people around. I guess I'm a little claustrophobic."

"That's okay. Do you want me to open the windows?"

"No, that's alright. I'm okay."

But she still looked nervous - especially when they went through tunnels - so Emma reached over and put her hand on the woman's knee.

"It's okay," she reassured her. "We're almost there anyway."

They made their way to the parking garage, which didn't help Regina's anxiety at all, since they were primarily in the dark, surrounded by tightly packed cars.

"It's just a short walk away, okay?" Emma assured her. "The place we're going is going to be packed with people, but there's a lot of space. And no cars."

Regina nodded nervously as Emma got out of the car. Before Regina could push the door open, Emma was already opening it for her. The blonde marveled at the grace with which the woman stepped out of the car - such a simple action, but one so flawless and poised.

"I didn't tell you before, so I should tell you now..." Emma started.

"What?"

"You look stunning."

"This?" Regina asked, gesturing to her own dress. "It's nothing. Just something casual I wear out sometimes."

"No, it's perfect." Emma blinked and continued, "Um, so... you ready?"

Regina nodded, and Emma held out her arm.

"If you want," Emma mumbled, ready to put her arm back at her side if it was rejected.

But, to Emma's surprise, Regina accepted and threaded her own arm through Emma's.


	3. Chapter 3: Somewhere Unexpected

"An aquarium?" Regina asked, taken aback as she stared at the entrance.

"Mhmm."

"Shouldn't you be taking Henry here?"

"Why not you? You need to have a little fun. You need to relax."

"Are you serious?"

"Perfectly."

Regina looked back and forth between Emma and the entrance.

"C'mon," Emma encouraged her. "They have penguins!"

Without thinking, Emma grabbed Regina's hand, tugging her into the building. Emma bought their tickets and pulled her past the gates.

"See?" Emma said. "I told you it was awesome."

Regina looked around at all the glass cases full of aquatic animals as her mouth hung slightly open.

"I had no idea it was so huge," Regina mused.

"I know," Emma said, smiling triumphantly. "Let's go see the penguins!"

"Penguins?"

"Uh-huh! They're my favorite. They have sharks and stuff too."

"Sh-sharks?" Regina stuttered.

"Yeah, sharks! Don't you like animals?"

"No, I mean... I do... I just..."

"Oh, my God," Emma laughed. "Are you afraid of sharks?"

Regina looked down at her feet, and Emma covered her mouth to stop the laughter.

"It's okay," Emma said, grinning. "I'll protect you."

Regina rolled her eyes and reluctantly followed Emma over to the penguin exhibit.

"Wow," the mayor breathed. "They're really amazing, aren't they?"

"They really are."

As Regina leaned over the side to watch the penguins being fed, Emma looked over at her. A few strands of hair fell into Regina's face, but the brunette didn't take her eyes off of the animals. It made Emma's heart swell to see how captivated she was - especially given the fact that it was her own favorite exhibit as well. She'd been unsure about bringing her to the aquarium - she knew it would be hit or miss and nothing in between - but as she watched the woman's reactions, she knew she'd picked the right place. As Regina stared at the penguins and their caretakers, watching them enthusiastically devouring pieces of fish, Emma stared only at her, nearly forgetting about the exhibit entirely.

They spent the rest of the day looking at the rest of the exhibits in the building, making sure not to miss any, until they reached the largest circular tank that was set up in the middle of the building and went all the way up to the enormous ceiling. When they reached the bottom of the ramp, Emma looked over at Regina.

"There's a lot of sharks," she informed her. "We don't have to look if you don't want to."

"No," Regina countered. "I want to. Just... Can you... Um..."

Emma cautiously wrapped her pinky around Regina's and looked into her eyes. The mayor looked back at the sheriff and gave a nervous smile.

"You'll be okay," Emma promised.

Regina kept their pinkies entwined as ascended the colossal winding ramp that surrounded the tank. They took their time going up, wanting to see everything they could. Regina watched bravely as the different kinds of sharks swam around with the fish, turtles, and other animals, until they reached the top. From there, they were able to look down on the top of the tank and get a different view of the gigantic cylinder.

"It really is amazing," Regina said softly, staring down and watching the animals swim around below her. "I never thought I'd like something like this. I guess I never took Henry because I don't... um... because I don't really like sharks. He'd love to see this, though. You should bring him."

"Why not you?"

"Oh, I... I mean... This was your idea. You should take him."

"Do you not want to come back?"

"No, it's not that! I'd love to. I just... I don't know. I just figured you should be the one to bring him here."

"Why don't we both bring him?" Emma suggested gently.

Regina looked surprised by this, but she smiled nonetheless.

"You really want to?"

"If you do. I'm sure he'd love it."

Regina nodded in agreement and looked up at Emma, meeting her eyes with her own.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said softly. "I had a great time. Honestly."

"Even with the sharks?"

"Even with the sharks," Regina relied with a smile. "Let's go get something to eat."

They had lunch nearby at Faneuil Hall and spent the rest of the day walking around the city together, looking at all the historic monuments and buildings.

"This is incredible," Regina commented, looking all around her and taking in the sights.

"It is, isn't it?"

Emma smiled and looked into her eyes.

"Thank you for coming with me today," Emma said. "I'm really blessed to have had the pleasure of your company."

Regina blushed.

"I had a nice time, too, Emma," she said. "Really."

On the way home, they drove through the Boston traffic in quiet, but once they reached the city limits, Regina put the music back on, and Demi Lovato played through the speakers.

"I didn't know you liked this," Emma mused, smiling.

Regina shrugged.

"I'm sure there's a lot about me that would surprise you, Miss Swan."

"That's Sheriff Swan to you, Mayor Mills."

Emma grinned and looked over at her for a brief moment, then returned her eyes to the road.

"Alright. Sheriff Swan it is then."

The mayor smiled at the driver and looked backed down at the illuminated screen of the iPod, searching through the rest of the music.

When they reached Storybrooke, Emma opened the car door for her again and walked her up to the house. They stood awkwardly in the doorway until Emma finally spoke.

"So does this mean I get a second date, then?" Emma asked hopefully, trying to conceal her nervousness by sounding nonchalant, but truly afraid the answer would be 'no.'

"I... I would love that, Emma..."

The sheriff took a small step forward. Her muscles twitched and she started to reach up to give the woman a hug but decided against it. Fear of rejection held her back.

"I feel bad for leaving Henry here," Regina said.

"Well, why don't we give him something from the aquarium to let him know we were thinking about him?"

"Like what?" Regina asked sadly. "We've already left."

"Let's make him a book. He loves reading. If you write, I'll illustrate."

"I can't... I can't write..."

"Sure you can. You just need to use your imagination."

"I have none," Regina said, laughing lightly.

"Sure you do. Everyone does. You just have to find it, that's all."

"Alright," she sighed, still feeling unsure. "See you tomorrow night then?"

"Of course, madam. I'll be here straight away after work."

"That sounds great."

"You bring the art supplies?"

"Sure thing."

Emma smiled and returned to her car, pulling out of the driveway only after watching Regina turn and walk back into the house, shutting the door behind her.


	4. Chapter 4: Something For Henry

"So how do we start this?"

"Polar bears," Emma said plainly. "Butler polar bears, with top hats and suits."

"Those weren't at the aquarium."

"So? They should have been. We'll put penguins in there too! And sharks and turtles and-"

"Emma."

"What?"

"Calm down. It's just a book," she said, then paused. "This is silly. What am I supposed to write?"

"Just tell a story, 'Gina. It's not that hard."

"You write it then!" she snapped.

"Hey, hey. I didn't mean it like that!" Emma exclaimed. "I just meant... I meant... I know you can do it."

"Alright," Regina sighed, sitting down on the floor beside Emma in front of a pile of art supplies.

"Start writing a storyboard. I'll put together some illustrations as you come up with stuff."

Reluctantly, Regina began to jot down ideas. As the hours passed by, they worked on their project without stopping, not even breaking for dinner. Luckily, Henry was with his grandparents for the night, so they were alone long enough to finish their work without him knowing. Once they were finished, Emma bound the pages together with colored string. They brought the book up to his room and set it down on his pillow.

"There," Emma said, smiling. "He'll love it. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Even the corners of Regina's lips finally curled upward into a smile.

"No, I suppose it wasn't."

"I guess I should get going," Emma said reluctantly, standing up and grabbing her jacket.

"Wait, Emma... Don't go."

Regina looked disappointed as she stood up as well.

"Please stay," she said.

Emma looked her up and down - she was wearing another tantalizingly beautiful outfit - and slowly placed her jacket on the chair beside her.

"What do you want to do?" Emma asked, looking around.

"We could... um... What about dinner? Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. Do you want to order something for delivery?"

"Actually, that sounds great," Regina said. "I don't really feel like cooking."

"Me either," Emma said with a laugh, sitting down in the chair.

Regina took the couch and grabbed the phone on the coffee table.

"What do you want to eat? We could get pizza, Chinese food, whatever you want. I'll buy."

"No ma'am," Emma interjected. "I'm buying."

"There's no way. You paid for everything yesterday!"

"You were gracious enough to allow me the pleasure of taking you out. The least I can do is buy you dinner."

Regina frowned and looked down at the phone.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked, evading the comment, planning on paying for the meal anyway, despite Emma's protests.

"Steak and cheese sub from a pizza place? Is that alright?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Regina said.

"What are you getting?" Emma asked, purely out of curiosity.

"Caesar salad."

Regina picked up the phone and made their order.

"What now?" Regina asked, awkwardly wringing her hands and crossing her legs as she leaned back against the couch.

Emma looked around the room. Her eyes stopped on the entertainment system, which was - like the rest of the house - completely spotless. She got up from her seat and knelt down in front of the television.

"Xbox!" Emma exclaimed. "Let's play Halo!"

"What?"

"Halo. It's a game."

"I know what it is. Why are we playing it?"

"So you agree then?" Emma asked excitedly, grabbing two of the controllers and tossing one to Regina.

"No way," Regina protested. "I don't even know how to play."

"Alright," Emma said, smiling. "Then we'll start in campaign mode, and I'll show you. Come sit on the floor with me."

"What? No."

Regina was stunned in place, her mouth hanging slightly open.

"Come here. Sit with me."

Regina reluctantly complied and sat down beside Emma, clutching the controller nervously in her hands. Emma used hers to power on the console then turned to the woman beside her.

"No, sit in front of me."

"Huh?"

"Sit in front of me, hun."

Reluctantly, Regina moved in front of Emma as she hit 'start' on the game. To her surprise, Emma's arms slipped around her, and she put her hands over Regina's. Gently, she controlled the movements of Regina's fingertips as the game began, helping her character walk forward, turn their head, and fire the weapon.

"Duck!" Emma screamed, slamming her thumb down on top of Regina's, which was placed above the joystick.

"Jesus!" Regina laughed, subconsciously leaning back against Emma's chest. "Calm down! It's just a game!"

The controller vibrated as her character was shot and killed.

"DAMMIT!" Emma yelled, grabbing the controller away from Regina and throwing it across the room. "FUCK!"

Regina kept laughing at Emma's enthusiasm as the blonde's hands dropped to her thighs. Slowly, the woman's hands worked their way up until they were on Regina's hips. Emma's fingertips slid just beneath the hem of the mayor's shirt and touched the skin there, making Regina shiver.

"Emma," she whispered, letting her head fall back and rest gently on the sheriff's shoulder.

"Wait!" Emma gasped, breaking the moment abruptly, grabbing Regina's arm and shaking it a little as she reached for the nearest controller with her free hand. "You're alive again! You're gonna get shot!"

Regina's mouth fell open slightly as she reluctantly lifted her head and looked back at the TV screen. She quickly resumed their previous position and proceeded to play the game, nearly forgetting about their shared moment. After a few more deaths, they put the controller down, but didn't move away from each other. Instead, Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and gently held her there.

"See?" she whispered in her ear. "I told you you'd fall for me."


	5. Chapter 5: The Phone Call

The next day, Emma sat in silence in the police station, half-assing her paperwork. What she was really waiting for was a phone call. When it didn't come, she grew nervous, until the time for her lunch break rolled around. She decided to step outside and get some fresh air, and squeezed her cellphone tightly as she left the office, locking the door behind her and tucking the keys into her pocket. She waited for the phone to vibrate as she stood outside, leaning against the building and feeling the air cool her warm face. Her nerves were getting the best of her. Finally, she resolved the pull out her cell phone and dial the number she so desperately wished would appear on the screen.

After it rang five times, Emma no longer expected an answer. _She's probably busy,_ she reasoned, about to hang up the phone. On the sixth ring, she heard the receiver click on the other end of the line.

"This is the mayor's office," the secretary answered. "May I ask who's calling?"

Emma swallowed hard.

"Yeah, um, this is the sheriff. I just need to talk to the mayor about some private matters. Could you transfer me to her office, if she's in?"

"I'm afraid she's on her lunch break at the moment. I can leave a message and ask her to call you back, if you'd like."

"Yeah," Emma said. "That would be great. Can you just let her know that I called and that it would be great if she could call the police department as soon as she gets a chance?"

"Is this an emergency? Would you like to set up an appointment to meet with her in person?"

"No, no. That's okay. I just need to talk to her when she gets a free minute."

"Alright then. I'll let her know you called."

"Thank you very much, ma'am."

The woman hung up the phone, leaving Emma disappointed as she walked back into the station. After a few more hours of paperwork, and not much else, the office phone finally rang.

"Hello?" Emma answered, her voice bright and hopeful.

"Hello, Miss Swan. You called?"

"I did, yes. Um... I know this is completely inappropriate, but I couldn't help myself. Is there any way you'd like to go on a second date with me?"

"That depends. Are we going to the zoo next? I'm afraid of lions."

Emma laughed and shook her head, nervously squeezing the phone a little tighter as her palms started to sweat.

"You are not," she said.

"Actually, I'm not, but I really don't like them. I'm not a fan of things that could kill me with one bite."

"Well, it would actually probably be several. Lions-"

"Thank you, Miss Swan, but I don't have time for a lesson from the discovery channel."

"Right, sorry. I was actually thinking you could come over and let me cook for you. Maybe have some hard apple cider or some wine. Maybe some more video games?"

Regina laughed into the phone, and Emma relished the sound.

"I love that noise," she told the mayor.

"What noise?"

"You, laughing."

Emma couldn't see it, but a blush rose to Regina's cheeks.

"Will you play your guitar for me again?" the woman asked shyly.

With a smile, Emma answered, "Of course. Anything you'd like, m'lady."

"Stop calling me that."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my queen. You are the most elegant maiden I have ever had the pleasure of setting my eyes on. I'd like to treat you that way."

"I'd like to think I'm the only maiden you're setting your eyes on."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Emma continued.

"You are."

"There's no one else?"

"No one," Emma confirmed.

"Then I'll see you at seven."


	6. Chapter 6: My Specialty

Regina brought the apple cider.

When the mayor walked through the door, Emma quickly took the woman's jacket and put it on the coatrack, making sure to hang it neatly. She then thanked the woman for bringing the alcoholic beverages and set it the bottles down on the table.

"How was work?" she asked casually.

Regina just shrugged.

"That bad, huh?"

When Regina nodded, Emma gestured for her to sit down on the couch.

"Why don't you relax for a little while? I'm just going to get dinner ready."

"Can I help?" Regina asked eagerly, stepping closer to Emma.

Emma thought about this, then nodded.

"Sure."

"What are we having?"

"My specialty. Chicken parmesan."

"That sounds fantastic. I'm actually really hungry."

"Good!" Emma said with a smile, walking over to the kitchen. "I've got most of it prepared already anyway. Really, it just needs a few final touches before I can finish it up."

The two spent the next few minutes working quietly. By the time ten minutes had passed, Emma's hands were covered with sauce and cheese. Regina's, however, were spotless. Her touch was delicate and precise when cooking. For Emma, it was customary to be covered in her food before she'd even eaten it.

"You look ridiculous," Regina noted, pointing out the splotches of sauce that decorated Emma's shirt.

The sheriff just beamed a smile at her and continued working, finishing the last few steps of the process.

"Whatever," she said with a shrug and a smile, walking over to the sink to wash her hands.

"You know there's a thing called an apron, right?"

"You're not wearing one either."

"Ah, yes. And look at me. Spotless."

"Well aren't you just a dainty little queen."

"Shut up, Swan. Don't make me get you fired for being a slob in the kitchen."

Emma laughed and shook her head.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I would. Unless, of course, this meal is delicious. Then I'll let it slide."

The queen happily ate her words. The meal was far better than she'd expected.

"This is amazing," she commented, raising another fork full of food to her lips and chewing it gracefully.

"Thank you. Like I said, it's my specialty. Everyone loves my chicken parm."

"Will you make this again for me sometime?" Regina asked shyly.

"Does this mean you'd like a third date, Miss Mills?" Emma asked with a smirk, setting her fork down and smiling at the mayor.

"Why, yes, Sheriff. I believe it does."

After dinner, the two put their dishes in the dish washer, turned it on, and sat down in the living room in front of the television.

"What would you like to do now, my dear? We could watch a movie, practice some video games... I could play for you... Anything you'd like."

"I'd love to hear you play again," Regina said, her voice soft and gentle.

With a nod, Emma grabbed her guitar and took it out of its case. She strummed a few times, adjusting the strings back into the right pitch with skill and precision. She'd gotten to the point where she no longer needed a pitch pipe to tune the instrument. She could do it all simply by ear. This impressed Regina, whose eyes were wide as Emma started to play. She watched Emma intently as she let the music fill her ears, taking in the small smile on the woman's lips and way her hair fell into her eyes each time she glanced down at the guitar, which wasn't very often. For the most part, Emma was looking directly at Regina. After a few songs, Emma set the guitar down beside the couch and looked over at her new lover.

"I wish I was better at this for you," she admitted. "I want to impress you."

"You do," Regina told her. "You really do. You're wonderful. I've no musical talent whatsoever. I think it's great that you're so skilled at it."

"I'm not," Emma argued, looking down and feeling embarrassment fill her.

"You are. But let's not argue when we both know I'm right."

Emma couldn't help but laugh at this as she looked back up at the brunette.

"Thank you for coming over," she said. "It's really great to have you here with me."

"What do you do when you're alone?" the mayor asked, feeling curious.

"Well, I guess I just... I don't know. Most people don't know this, but I really like to read. Other than that, really, I just work. I spend a lot of time down at the station. Lately, though, I've just been so _bored_ with it all. I feel like I can't focus. Like my mind is somewhere else, just since a few days ago."

"Me, too."

They looked at each other for a quiet moment, each comprehending what the other was trying to say. When she realized Regina wasn't going to speak, Emma decided to break the silence.

"I've been thinking about you," she confessed.

"And I, you, Sheriff."

A smile passed between them as they knowingly moved their hands a little closer to each other on the couch, until their pinkies were touching.


End file.
